How Scrupulosity Transformed into Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

How Scrupulosity Transformed into Religious Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Dennis HC CHAN

This article presents the history of scrupulosity by discussing the opinions of the Jesuits, the research of a historian, and the viewpoints of clinical psychologists, and points out that Ignatius of Loyola got rid of his scrupulosity by a method similar to modern behavioral therapy. illuminated the author that Martin Luther overcame the same problem by adopting a method similar to modern cognitive therapy. The combination of the two methods is similar to today's cognitive behavioral therapy, which is currently the most effective method for coping with scrupulosity. However, the transformation of the scrupulous should not only involve cognition and behavior, but also conscience, five senses, emotions, etc. Therefore, integrating psychotherapy and spiritual exercises would lead to a more holistic transformation.